October 1, 2008 in Quincy, Illinois

Yesterday, we left the Keokuk Yacht Club to learn that Lock 19 was down for the day for repairs, so we headed back to the yacht club for another day in Keokuk.  Hank gave me docking lessons & I’m starting to feel more comfortable with handling the boat.  We did laundry, a little cleaning.  Members Kell Ann Redhead & Dick Aicher loaned us a car for a “tour” of Keokuk.  Later they & several others from KYC joined us on QAR for drinks & a tour of our home.
  
We left KYC early am & the lock was working so we locked down with 2 other boats traveling south — one from Muscatine, Iowa on a tour to & from St. Louis & another headed home to a lake near Florence, Alabama.

We waited at Lock 20 for 1 1/2 hours while a barge locked thru going up (tow & 18 barges).  Our traveling companions took off & left us after exiting the lock & just made it thru Lock 21 before a barge was locked up going north.  By the time we got to the lock (we travel at about 8 knots/hr.), there was a 2 hour wait, so we decided to spend the night here in Quincy, IL.  We’re here at the Quincy Boat Club which is in the process of repairing the club house from flood damage, but have a dock with electricity.  I asked if they had reciprocals with other yacht clubs & they said “no” ’cause they never go anywhere, so we’ll have to pay $1 per foot.

Barges have priority over recreational boats — they pay tolls & we get a “free” ride. The last lock had a drop of 38′, but most locks we’ve been thru are around 10′ to 15′.  The last lock on the Mississippi is Lock 27 at St. Louis.  Then no more till we turn left at the Ohio River & then right to enter the Tennessee River.  Tonight we’ll get out our charts out & plan our trip for tomorrow.  Lock 21 is 3 miles south of where we are now & we hope to avoid a lengthy wait tomorrow morning.